A shocked man who drove home with a dead woman on the roof of his car said he thought he had hit an animal.
Horror CCTV footage showed the motorist cruising down an empty road at night with the half-naked corpse on top of his vehicle.
When questioned by police, he admitted to knowing he had hit something while driving down the highway.
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According to his testimony, he thought he had hit an animal because it was foggy at the time and visibility was poor.
He claims he did not stop and get out there and then, despite heavy damage to the car, because he did not feel safe in the area at the time.
Detectives believe he drove for nearly two miles before his passenger spotted a leg through the rear window.
Only once he was home in Giruá – north-west of Porto Alegre, Brazil – did he get out and realise what had happened.
The driver contacted the police straight away, as reported by Need To Know.
CCTV images were recorded on the RS-344 highway – between Santo Ângelo and Giruá – between 3:48 am and 3:52 am on Sunday (8 Jun).
The victim was swiftly identified as Viviana Beatriz Villalba of Dos de Mayo, Argentina.
She had moved to the area about two weeks earlier to work at a nightclub.
The day of the accident was her 22nd birthday.
She leaves behind a four-year-old daughter.
Detectives found skid marks on the road at the site of the accident.
This, according to lead investigator Elaine Maria da Silva, suggests “an attempt by the driver to avoid hitting the victim”.
After arriving at the police station, he reportedly refused to be breathalysed.
Police have registered the case as manslaughter and have seized his car.
They say the evidence is consistent with his version of events.
Viviana’s loved ones have begun the process of repatriating her body.
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